web developers

As we move fully into April (and mid autumn) we thought it was time we looked at some of the fantastic resources that web designers and web developers have been tapping into over the first quarter of 2014.

If your website has been hacked in the past, you will know better than most how much work goes into fixing the chaos that the hacker managed to wreak before they were caught. The question that arises in many people’s minds, however, is that they have chosen a reputable web development company to build their site, so how on earth did it still manage to get hacked?

Your web host is vulnerable: More often than not, a number of websites that are all hosted by the same company will be hacked together. If this is the case, the problem lies with your web host, who is vulnerable; report hacked websites immediately.

Your computer (or your developer’s computer) has been compromised: This is a reflection of the vulnerability of the computer and not the site itself; malware can be used to steal passwords and infect uploaded files that in turn affect the website.

Your code is poorly written: If your web development company has not properly coded all aspects of your website (from its forms, dynamic pages and even its CMS), it is likely that security holes will result. Code should always be tested before being released.

Your content management system has security holes: If your CMS has not been kept secure, it’s likely that a hacker has found holes that they have been able to exploit. Whenever the developer releases a new version, make sure you update.

Unfortunately, no website is going to be completely hacker-proof, even if you have the most reputable web development company in the world working on your code. But by ensuring that known of the above issues has arisen, you can take active steps towards making it as difficult as possible for hackers to gain access to your private information.

With more and more people accessing the internet from the smartphones, web developers are finding themselves required more and more often to create websites that cater to these devices. This creates a number of problems for developers who are forced to change the way that they work and code to ensure that smaller screens are catered for.

But how can web developers overcome these challenges and ensure that they provide a mobile-friendly experience with all projects that they work on?

Customised CSS coding is a good way of adjusting the content of an existing website to fit onto a smaller screen.

Create stylesheets that hide elements that are unnecessary for mobile users; this reduces the clutter of a smaller screen.

If you would instead like to create a totally separate mobile website, use a Javascript redirect code to take visitors to the relevant URL for the device they are browsing on.

Use the <viewport> meta tag to enable users to flip the website from portrait to landscape viewing.

Download some of the tools on the market that enable developers to test how their websites are working in mobile and other small screens.

Even though the increase in the use of smartphone devices for internet browsing has created a number of challenges for web developers, there are a number of tools and techniques out there that enable these challenges to be easily overcome. With internet access via mobile devices expected to rise over the next few years, developers could use all the help they can get.

There is a saying in the web development industry that goes something along the lines of: “Good developers copy. Great ones steal.” This suggests that a lot of people believe that there is nothing unique left to be created. Does this imply, then, that ‘stealing’ code is acceptable? Perhaps not, as you can see from the other two types of developer out there:

Web development copiersOften, the copiers are seen as being at the bottom of the development pyramid – they are the novices who haven’t yet come up with any of their own useful code yet. There is nothing wrong with doing this – it’s a great way to learn what different pieces of code does to the website as a whole, until you get to a point where you can do this without copying.

Web development stealersThis generally occurs after a developer has copied another’s code and begun to understand how it works – they realize that coming up with something similar (on their own) is much harder then it looks. These people then begin to steal their code, carefully concealing their sources so that no one can trace their deception.

Web development strugglersThese are the developers who try their hardest to avoid copying and stealing other’s work. They are aware of the fact that it is near impossible to create anything unique in this day and age, but they try to do so regardless. These people instead try to draw inspiration from other areas of life.

Seeing as there are 3 kinds of people in the web development industry, it does seem to suggest that stealing is not the only way to come up with great code and websites. It should be the strugglers, then, that are considered as the truly great developers, the copiers the good ones, and the stealers the bad ones.

As anyone working in the web development industry will be able to tell you, working with Flash is the bane of the internet user’s existence. Whilst Flash can make for highly attractive websites that users are instantly attracted to and want to engage in, they can wreak havoc with a site’s usability and search engine spider readability. So, what is a pseudo-Flash website and why is it so great for developers?

Web Design Melbourne

Basically, a pseudo-Flash website is one that has the appearance, feel and characteristics of a Flash website but has instead been built using those friends of web development, HTML and CSS. There are 2 main reasons for this shift from the attractive world of Flash to the equally attractive world of pseudo-Flash:

Language – web development in the languages of HTML and CSS is much easier to work with.

One of the great things for internet users is that, with pseudo-Flash sites on the rise, there are a number of Flash attributes that are becoming much harder for web developers to implement. One of these is background music – no longer will users have to search the page for the pause or mute button, as music will actually rarely feature on a site.

As with any web development trend, caution must be exercised when it comes time to approach a pseudo-Flash website. For example, ensure that you use self-control; just because your developer can do amazing things with page scrolling and animation doesn’t mean that they should. Instead, consider the audience and user-experience, and you will find your website works much better.

The selection of image format determines the speed of a website. This is exactly why web developers should choose image formats very carefully. Various types of file formats can be found, but not all of them are appropriate for all the projects you are handling. Each format has advantages and disadvantages, and you must know about them so as to find the right type for image.

For web developers, it is vital to keep few points in mind while choosing the image type:

It should be small in size.

It must not affect the speed of the site.

The quality of image must not be affected.

It must support all browsers.

Although, there are various types of image file formats but three of them are the most prevalent of all. They are – JPEG, GIF and PNG. JPEG is basically used for photographs, because of its support for unlimited color palettes. It allows huge compression resulting into smaller file than any other file type, an ideal option for web developers. GIF on other hand are the best fit for simple graphics, logos and animated images, because of its limited to 256 colors. However, it is not largely preferred for the reason that they are more likely to get affected by virus. PNG is another format that is mainly used for transparent images. It is a format of modern era and is basically the hybrid of JPEG and GIF which has tremendous advantages over the other formats, still at times JPEG and GIF seems to be a better option, depending on the type of project. So, it is vital for all the web developers to choose the file format that goes well with their requirements.

Web development involves the right balance of creativity and technicalities. Balancing the equilibrium of these two factors is only possible if a web developer is skilled and has the experience to handle projects. However, these are not the only essential qualities required to be a good web developers, there are many others. Let us discovers them.

Understanding the project: It is highly important for web developers to understand and the core requirement of a project, including inputs, outputs and the deliverables. Else it is almost impossible to achieve accuracy and on time delivery of a work.

Being futuristic: A good web developer always thinks of future. It is necessary because there is always a possibility of future modification, updates and growth in a website. Hence, a website must be designed with a plan that if any changes have to be applied, there is enough space for that.

Staying updated: In a technical field, regular introduction of new techniques and ideas are always expected. Sticking with the same old pattern of working will do nothing but will keep you behind. Good web developers always stay informed about the changes going in the related industry, what technology has been abandoned and what are the latest technologies.

Be smart: If there is a project for multiple websites or you are planning to use the same code in next many website designs then it would be better to create a single code and adapt it for others. This will save time and effort.

Analyzing last project: A good web developer always analyzes his last project and tries to find a way out for what didn’t worked in last project and what he could have done better. This help web developers maintain the project and make easier way for future projects.